Indirect Questions: A Clear Guide with Examples
Indirect Questions: A Clear Guide with Examples
Why do we say “where the office is” after “Could you tell me…”? Learn the pattern, see how it works in an email and try it yourself.
You can speak English well and still get this wrong
You use English at work, watch films without subtitles and explain your ideas clearly. Then you write an email:
Could you tell me where is the office?
The meaning is clear. But for an exam or a work email, write: “Could you tell me where the office is?”
If you make this mistake, you may know the rule but need more practice using it when you are thinking about your message. I work with learners who communicate confidently and still need help with grammar like this.
What is an indirect question?
Compare these two ways of asking for the same information:
Where is the office?
Could you tell me where the office is?
The second question sounds more polite. We add “Could you tell me…”, but we also change the order of the words: “is the office” becomes “the office is”.
We use the same pattern to say what we do not know:
I don’t know where the office is.
In both examples, the question is part of a longer sentence.
How do you put the words in the right order?
Think of a simple sentence: “The office is downstairs.” Keep “the office is” in that order after where:
Could you tell me where the office is?
Blue: subject (the office) · Pink: verb (is)
In grammar, the office is the subject: the thing we are talking about. Is is the verb. Here, the subject comes before the verb.
Direct: When can we start?
Indirect: Do you know when we can start?
Keep “we can start” together, just as in “We can start on Monday.”
What happens to “do”, “does” and “did”?
Look at these questions. The words do, does and did help us form the direct question. In the second column, we remove them from the part after where or when:
| Direct question | Indirect question |
|---|---|
| Where do they work? | Do you know where they work? |
| When does the course start? | I’d like to know when the course starts. |
| When did the meeting finish? | Do you know when the meeting finished? |
The opening “Do you know…?” stays the same. We are changing the words that come after where or when.
Notice what happens to the other verb:
- Does the course start becomes the course starts. We need the -s.
- Did the meeting finish becomes the meeting finished. We still need the past tense.
A small reminder: “Could you tell me…” is a polite way to ask. The word could does not mean that everything after it must be in the past.
Why is this harder in an email than in an exercise?
In an exercise, you know what to do: change a direct question into an indirect one. In an email, you are also choosing your words, explaining your situation and trying to sound polite. You may forget to check the word order.
Here is an email with four mistakes. The writer’s questions are easy to understand, but the highlighted parts need changing.
Thank you for the course information. Before I book, I’d like to know when does the course start and how much does it cost. I also need to check whether are the lessons recorded, because I sometimes work late. Could you explain how does the final test work?
Thank you for the course information. Before I book, I’d like to know when the course starts and how much it costs. I also need to check whether the lessons are recorded, because I sometimes work late. Could you explain how the final test works?
Look at the last sentence. We keep the opening “Could you explain…?”. After how, we write “the final test works”.
When you check your own writing, find phrases such as “I’d like to know…” or “I’m not sure…”. Then read the words that come after them. That is where you need to check the order.
Three more things to remember
Use if or whether when the original question has no word such as where or when.
Is the course online?
I’d like to know
if the course is online.
You can also say: “I’d like to know whether the course is online.”
Are you asking someone a question?
Could you tell me where the office is?
Are you saying what you want to know?
I’d like to know where the office is.
Look at the whole sentence when choosing the punctuation.
3. Sometimes the order already works. In “Who organised the event?”, who asks which person did the action. Keep “who organised” together: “Do you know who organised the event?”
But I’ve heard native speakers say it differently…
Yes, you may hear a native speaker use a different word order. But that does not always mean they have made a mistake.
A research article about English grammar includes this real example from a recording of spoken British English:
“I asked her what day was she born.”
“I asked her what day she was born.”
Notice the difference: was she in the first example; she was in the second.
Why might someone use the first form? English is not the same everywhere. People in different places can use different grammar, as well as different pronunciation. A form of English used in a particular place or community is called a dialect.
Yale University’s grammar project describes this word order in Irish English and several kinds of North American English. For some speakers, it is a normal part of the English they grew up speaking.
People can also make mistakes while talking. However, we cannot look at every example like this and decide that the speaker has forgotten a rule. Sometimes their everyday English follows a different pattern.
The research shows that native speakers use these forms. It does not tell us how often native speakers make accidental mistakes with indirect questions.
You can understand both forms, but practise subject + verb for your exams and formal writing: “what day she was born”.
Hearing a sentence in a conversation does not automatically mean it is the right choice for an exam answer.
Do you need this for C1 Advanced?
Yes. If you are preparing for C1 Advanced, also called CAE, it is worth practising. You need to use grammar correctly when you write and speak, as well as when you complete grammar exercises.
Cambridge tests grammar in Reading and Use of English . In Writing, examiners also look at how well you use different sentence patterns.
You do not need to write without a single mistake. Cambridge’s C1 writing guide allows occasional errors that do not make the message difficult to understand. But if you keep making the same mistake, it is worth working on it.
So, after practising short questions, write a whole email or give a longer spoken answer. Can you still use the pattern correctly when you are thinking about your own ideas?
Useful phrases you can use today
-
Could you tell me…?
— to ask politely
Could you tell me when the next meeting is? -
I’m not sure whether…
— when you do not know
I’m not sure whether I need to book in advance. -
We need to find out…
— when you need more information
We need to find out why the delivery is late. -
Could you clarify…?
— to ask someone to explain more clearly
Could you clarify how the payment system works?
Want a more formal phrase? Try “It is unclear to what extent…”. This means “We do not know how much…”: “It is unclear to what extent the changes will affect our team.”
Your turn: correct a short paragraph
Find three mistakes. Remember to check the words after how, whether and what support.
Our team wants to use a new booking system. We need to understand how will it change our daily work and whether can customers still call us. We should also find out what support does the company offer.
Show the answer and explanation
Our team wants to use a new booking system. We need to understand how it will change our daily work and whether customers can still call us. We should also find out what support the company offers.
- It will change: put it before will.
- Customers can: put customers before can.
- The company offers: remove does and add -s to offer.
Now write three or four sentences about a course or a job you are interested in. Include “I’d like to know…” and “Could you tell me…?”. Then check what comes after those phrases.
Let’s work on the grammar you still find difficult
You may use English every day and still feel unsure about some grammar. That does not mean you need to start again.
In my online lessons, I help you find these gaps, understand the rules and practise using them in your own sentences. We work on the emails, conversations and longer answers you actually need.
Whether you are preparing for C1 Advanced or need English for work or university, we can build on what you already know and work on the parts that still cause problems.
Sources and further reading
- BBC Learning English: indirect questions
- Cambridge Grammar: indirect questions
- Research on indirect questions in spoken English
- Yale: different word orders in English dialects
- C1 Advanced exam format and writing assessment
The exercises here are for practice. They are not official Cambridge exam tasks.
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